Packaging comprising a container, a lid and a joint

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to packaging comprising 
         a container ( 100 ) comprising a wall ( 101 ) delimiting an internal cavity ( 102 ) for receiving contents, and an opening ( 105 ),    a lid ( 200 ) suitable for closing off the opening ( 105 ) of the container ( 100 ), and    a joint ( 300 ) suitable for being placed in between the container ( 100 ) and the lid ( 200 ) to make the closing tight,    in which, when the container ( 100 ) is closed by the lid ( 200 ), the joint ( 300 ) is separated from the internal cavity ( 102 ) by a portion ( 111 ) of the container ( 100 ) or of the lid ( 200 ),    characterised in that the container ( 100 ) comprises at least one notch ( 112 ) which, when the container ( 100 ) is closed, extends in a direction generally transversal to the joint ( 300 ), the notch ( 112 ) being suitable for allowing introduction of a tool in between the joint and the container or the lid for the purpose of moving the joint to make it easier to open the packaging.

The invention relates to the field of packaging.

It relates especially to packagings for containing a food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic or other product requiring thermal treatment by way of pasteurisation or sterilisation.

Packagings comprising a container and a lid fitted with a flat joint are already known. The container comprises a wall delimiting an internal cavity for receiving contents, and an edge (or locking ring) delimiting an opening suitable for being closed by the cover.

A depression is created in the cavity by closing the lid under vacuum or degassing during thermal treatment.

When the container is closed by the cover, the depression in the cavity causes compression of the flat joint between the edge of the container and the cover.

The joint ensures hermetic sealing of the packaging for the purpose of durably protecting the contents of the container.

Because the joint is compressed between the edge of the container and the cover, the joint has a tendency to deform by forming a bead projecting relative to the container and cover.

In addition, in conventional terms the joint can have a tongue extending to the outside of the container. The tongue is intended to be gripped by a user to move the joint and thus cause rupture of the negative pressure inside the container so as to facilitate opening of the packaging.

A disadvantage of this type of packaging is that the presence of the bead or the tongue projecting relative to the container or the lid favours degradation of the joint.

Another disadvantage of this type of packaging is that the joint can be in contact with the contents of the container and can cause contamination of the contents.

For example, in the case where the contents are a food product, any contact by the product with the joint can cause migration of certain constituents from the joint to the product. This migration can modify the organoleptic (or taste) characteristics of the product.

An aim of the invention is to limit the risks of contamination of the product contained in the container.

This problem is solved within the scope of the present invention by packaging according to claim 1.

Because the joint is separated from the internal cavity, the joint is not likely to make contact with the contents of the container.

The proposed packaging allows the risks of contamination of the contents by the joint to be reduced.

The packaging could have the following characteristics:

-   -   the joint extends around the wall of the container,     -   the wall comprises an edge delimiting the opening and the joint         extends at a distance from the edge,     -   the packaging comprises a crown extending from the wall and is         suitable for supporting the joint,     -   the crown comprises a neck for receiving the joint,     -   the joint is a toric joint,     -   the neck has a cross-section substantially equal to ⅓ of the         cross-section of the joint,     -   the wall has a portion of general conical shape suitable for         guiding the positioning of the lid during closing of the         container,     -   the container comprises at least one notch which, when the         container is closed, extends in a direction generally         transversal to the joint, the notch being suitable for allowing         introduction of a tool in between the joint and the container or         the lid for the purpose of moving the joint to make it easier to         open the packaging,     -   the lid comprises a skirt suitable for pressing the joint         against the container,     -   the wall comprises an edge delimiting an opening of the         container and the lid comprises a neck, the edge comprising a         surface suitable for butting against a bottom surface of the         neck to limit compression of the joint,     -   the container and/or the lid are formed from glass.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the following description, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting and must be read along with the attached figures, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in lateral elevation and in cross-section, packaging according to an embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates, in lateral elevation, according to a first sectional plane, part of the wall of the container of the packaging of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in lateral elevation, according to a second sectional plane, part of the wall of the container of the packaging of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates, in a plan view, the container of the packaging of FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 to 4 the illustrated packaging comprises a container 100, a lid 200 and a joint 300.

The packaging is generally symmetrical in revolution about an axis Z.

The container 100 has a generally cylindrical shape and is formed from glass via a moulding process.

The container 100 comprises a wall 101 having an internal surface 102 and an external surface 103. The internal surface 102 encloses an internal cavity 104 for containing a product.

The container 100 also comprises an opening 105.

The wall 101 comprises an edge 106 (or locking ring) delimiting the opening 105 of the container 100. The edge 106 extends between the internal surface 102 and the external surface 103 of the container 100.

The edge 106 comprises a surface 107 having a substantially flat annular shape.

The container 100 also comprises a crown 108 extending from the external surface 103 of the wall 101 to the exterior of the container 100 in a radial plane relative to the wall 101. The crown 108 is formed integrally with the wall 101.

The crown 108 has a generally cylindrical shape and extends around the wall 101. The crown 108 comprises a support surface 109 having a substantially flat shape and extending parallel to the surface 107 of the edge 106. The support surface 109 extends at a distance d₁ from the edge 107.

The crown 108 delimits a portion 111 of the wall 101 extending between the edge 106 and the crown 108 and having a height d₁.

The crown 108 also comprises a neck 110 formed on the support surface 109. The neck 110 has a generally circular shape and extends along the external surface 103.

The lid 200 is designed to close off the opening 104 of the container 100.

The lid 200 is moulded from glass in a single piece. The lid 200 comprises a body 205 having a general disc shape and is designed to obstruct the opening 105 of the container 100.

The lid 200 also comprises an internal skirt 202 and an external skirt 210 extending from the body 205.

The skirts 202 and 210 extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the flat part 205. The skirts 202 and 210 have a generally cylindrical shape and are concentric.

The skirts 202 and 210 delimit a neck 206. The neck 206 comprises a bottom surface 207 extending between the skirts 202 and 210.

The external skirt 210 has a height d₂ and comprises an edge 211. The edge 211 comprises a support surface 212 having a width of around 4 to 5 millimetres.

The neck 110 is adapted to receive the joint 300.

The joint 300 is a toric joint having a Shore hardness of between 50 and 70 shores. When the joint is not positioned on the container 100, the joint 300 has an inner diameter less than the external diameter of the wall 101 of around 0.5 to 2 millimetres.

The neck 110 typically has a cross-section equal substantially to ⅓ of the cross-section of the joint 300.

To close the container 100 the lid 200 is placed on the opening 105 such that the edge 106 of the wall 101 is inserted into the neck 206, between the skirts 210 and 202 of the lid 200. The external skirt 210 rests on the toric joint 300.

The toric joint 300 is thus pressed between the support surface 212 of the external skirt 210 and the support surface 109 of the crown 108.

Compression of the joint 300 can be achieved by degassing of the container 100 under a vacuum bell for the purpose of creating negative pressure in the cavity 104, during a stage of closing of the container or during thermal treatment of the packaging.

During closing of the container 100 by the lid 200, the lid 200 is guided by the skirts 210 and 202 and the edge 106 of the container 100. The edge 106 and the neck 206 enable the lid 200 to be centred on the container 100.

The dimensions d₁ and d₂ are selected so as to control compression of the joint 300. The surface 107 of the edge 106 is suitable to butt against the bottom surface 207 of the neck 206 to limit compression of the joint 300.

The neck 110 allows the joint 300 to be positioned and allows the joint 300 to be kept on the container 100.

Because the joint 300 is a toric joint and is kept in the neck 110, the joint 300 does not form a bead when pressed between the support surface 212 of the skirt 210 and the support surface 109 of the crown 108.

The joint does not impede application of an inviolability check (such as a tongue of stuck paper) on the packaging extending at the same time to the container 100 and the lid 200.

In addition, the crown 108 protects the joint 300 from external aggression and limits degradation of the joint 300.

In addition, the joint 300 is separated from the internal cavity 104 of the container 100 by a portion 111 of the wall 101 extending from the edge 106. The joint 300 extends to one side of the portion 111 opposite the internal cavity 104.

The joint 300 is arranged outside the container 100 and at a distance from the surface 107 of the edge 106.

This effectively avoids any contact between the contents of the container 100 and the joint 300.

As is evident from FIG. 2, the portion 111 has a general conical shape. The conical shape of the portion 111 contributes to guiding the lid 200 during closing of the container 100. The conical portion 111 has an angle at the apex α of between approximately 5° and 10°.

The conical portion 111 allows guiding of the joint 300 as it is being positioned in the neck 110.

The conical portion 111 likewise allows the lid 200 to be centred on the container 100 and avoids any untimely displacement of the lid 200 relative to the container 100 in the event of shock.

As is evident from FIGS. 3 and 4, the crown 108 comprises two notches 112 placed in diametrically opposite zones of the crown 108. Each notch 112 has a width of around 20 millimetres.

Each notch 112 comprises a flat surface 113 extending in a plane tangential to the neck 110. The flat surface 113 of a notch 112 forms an angle β of around 30° with the support surface 109 of the crown 108.

The notches 112 extend transversally to the joint 300 and are adapted such that a tool (such as a knife) may be introduced into a notch 112 to shift the joint 300 for the purpose of allowing the packaging to be opened. The tool can be introduced into one of the notches 112, between the joint 300 and the crown 108 to lift the joint 300. Alternatively, the tool can be introduced in between the joint 300 and the support surface 212 of the lid to compress the joint on the surface 113 of the notch 112. 

1. Packaging, comprising a container (100) comprising a wall (101) delimiting an internal cavity (102) for receiving contents, and an opening (105), a lid (200) suitable for closing off the opening (105) of the container (100), and a joint (300) suitable for being placed between the container (100) and the lid (200) to make the closing tight, wherein, when the container (100) is closed by the lid (200), the joint (300) is separated from the internal cavity (102) by a portion (111) of the container (100) or of the lid (200), characterised in that the container (100) comprises at least one notch (112) which, when the container (100) is closed, extends in a direction generally transversal to the joint (300), the notch (112) being suitable for allowing introduction of a tool in between the joint and the container or the lid for the purpose of moving the joint to make it easier to open the packaging.
 2. The packaging as claimed in claim 1, in which the joint (300) extends around the wall (101) of the container (100).
 3. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the wall (101) comprises an edge (106) delimiting the opening (105) and the joint (300) extends at a distance from the edge (106).
 4. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a crown (108) extending from the wall (101) and suitable for supporting the joint (300).
 5. The packaging as claimed in claim 4, in which the crown (108) comprises a neck (110) for receiving the joint (300).
 6. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the joint (300) is a toric joint.
 7. The packaging as claimed in claims 5 and 6, in which the neck (110) has a cross-section substantially equal to ⅓ of the cross-section of the joint (300).
 8. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the wall (101) has a portion (111) of general conical shape suitable for guiding the positioning of the lid (200) during closing of the container (100).
 9. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the lid (200) comprises a skirt (210) suitable for pressing the joint (300) against the container (100).
 10. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the wall (101) comprises an edge (106) delimiting an opening (105) of the container (100) and the lid (200) comprises a neck (206), the edge (206) comprising a surface (107) suitable for butting against a bottom surface (207) of the neck (206) to limit compression of the joint (300).
 11. The packaging as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the container and/or the lid are formed from glass. 